The Rossanian Invasion
by ZeBird0
Summary: The Rossanians have invaded Araluen and are striking for the heart. A small, elite expeditionary force is sent, but what happens along the way? Will x Evanlyn, slight hints of others. First fanfic, no flames plz! Rated T in case. Chap 1 UPDATED!
1. The Plan

**Author's Note: This is my first story guys, so don't be too harsh. In other words, no flames please. Also, I hope that you don't not read it for the Will x Cassandra shipping, as it wont truly begin until later into the story. However, there will be hints every now and then. **

**Oh yeah, one last thing, sorry about the cliffhangers and the short chapter, I just couldn't resist (the cliffhangers). **

**EDIT: I'm incredibly sorry for the long wait that you guys had to endure, I went to China over the break and didn't have time at ALL to write. Furthermore, I took the week after that off too, so I didn't have that much time to write either (still in China at that time). But now I'm back and I should be able to get one edited version up once in a while. **

**Also, if you haven't noticed, here's the key for the various markings/styles.**

" **= Speech**

' **= Thought**

**BOLDED = Author's Note**

_**ITALICS **_**= Dream, Flashback, ect. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice, and all crap related to it. That belongs to John Flanagan. **

Summary: Will's almost finished with his training, but an unexpected invasion by the Rossanians from the Northeast has forced King Duncan to take action. Sending Princess Cassandra, Will, Horace, and Alyss on a mission to scout and talk with the Rossanians (of peace), the group embarks on an adventure that will change all of them.

**********

"Hey, George, it's your turn to take watch," mumbled Joe to his sleepy companion.

The two of them were currently situated on top of a watchtower at the edge of Hackham Heath. The tower stood at roughly three stories high, and was made of an interior of wood, and an outer casing of stone. It was overlooking the beachhead and the sea that lead to the mainland. The two were lightly armed with leather padding, a bow and arrows, along with a short sword, since there wasn't much indication of an attack at the area.

Both Joe and George were pseudo-warriors with little training; they only took the job to get a bit more money under their belts. However, they were both brave and willing to do their job.

"Huh…?" George said sleepily. "It's time already?"

"Yeah. Hurry up and take watch, I'm going to sleep," replied Joe.

Just then, there was a large horn sounding at the distance. It seemed that there was someone out at the sea.

"Wuzzat?" asked George, still groggy from sleep.

Joe squinted and looked. There appeared a rough outline of a boat. It appeared wider than it was tall, so that meant it wasn't Skandian. And yet, it was too wide to be a Galacian one. Who could it be, that had a queer boat like that?

As the boat came closer, it was clear who they were. Joe had seen them once before, when he was reading to his kids and fairytale of people from the far north. What the picture in the book depicted was identical to what he was seeing now.

The Rossanians were attacking.

**********

It was a dark day at Castle Araluen, as news of the Rossanians came to pass. Yet, the scenery was still beautiful, despite the black news. The sun was shining in a perfect, blue sky, while Castle Araluen stood towering over the little town that surrounded it. Inside, King Duncan was conversing with his attendants and helpers, over what to do about the Rossanian Invaders. The room was gilded with gold and paintings, yet the three men paid no attention to them. Instead, they were in a heated discussion next to the table.

The first man, King Duncan, was wearing his usual red rode, gilded with gold, his crown gleaming atop his head. His brown hair was tainted with grey, yet his green eyes still had the glint of knowledge and youth. Next to him was the Battlemaster from Caraway Feif, Sir David, dressed in full battle armor. **(A/N: I think that's his name) **His helmet covered most of his face, yet some of his blonde hair stuck out at certain points. The last person at the table was Lord Anthony. He had a slightly scholarly look about him, as his brown eyes glinted with knowledge. However, he was quite round around the belt, because he spent most of his time inside. Atop his head sat a bush of uncombed black hair, yet he paid no attention to it.

"My lord, we should take action quickly and fiercely, finishing the Rossanians before they can react," insisted the Battlemaster, who was also the commander of the king's forces.

"That is good idea David, however, I hope to end this conflict peacefully, without bloodshed, as that would be best for the people. If it shall come to a matter of force, then it shall. But for the time being, I would prefer it if we knew the intentions of the enemy, and tried to make peace with them." replied the King.

"Sir, if I may, we should send an expeditionary group. You know, with the intention of peace, or reconnaissance or such," Lord Anthony said.

"But they can be eliminated so easily if they were to fall into enemy hands! It would be a death wish to send them straight towards the enemy. Plus, they could be used as a bargaining tool. And how would we get a treaty signed without one of noble lineage?" said the Battlemaster.

"What if we were to send an elite group specialized in their task, carrying with them the royal heritage? One who specialized in stealth or some such," asked Lord Anthony.

"But I am too concerned with the kingdom, I have no time to go squabble with the Rossanians!" replied the king.

"I never said anything about you my lord, and I know just who to pick for this group," replied Lord Anthony calmly.

"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" asked David.

"I think you're correct," answered the Chamberlin.

**********

Meanwhile, at Castle Redmont, Will was training fiercely with his master, Halt. Or rather, he was in a heated training process that Halt deemed necessary. In the forest, Will had to seek out five concealed dummies, which Halt had put, at random areas, to hone his logic and sight. The dummies had a small green flag, for stealth of course, on them, which Will had to collect.

"It will save your life someday," Halt had calmly said, an hour prior.

'Yeah, right,' thought Will. 'This sure as hell is taking a long time. Plus, he says that for every training routine I go through.'

And he was right. The dummies were cleverly concealed in trees, in bushes, lying on the ground, all camouflaged in a mottled cloak modeled after the one Will wore. So far, Will had found four of the five dummies, yet it was taking him quite a long time to find the last one. Halt said it would be, at the maximum, a league radius from his cabin in the woods. Yet Will had scoured close and far for all the dummies, and they were nowhere to be found. He was nearly going to admit defeat; he was tired, and his feet were sore from walking.

However, that was not Will's way or nature.

Will had realized, with no surprise, that the training he was undergoing was getting harder and harder. Will jogged back to Halt's cabin, looking at the ground. He was going to restart from the cabin, and search where he already hadn't.

While he ran, Will thought about the past few years. They had been tough, and he realized with some surprise that he had gained a good deal of muscle and knowledge from it. In other words, he had learned. But his thoughts slowly reverted to other things. How he was hungry, how Halt would react if he came back with four flags, and then to… her. Will shook his head.

'Best not to think of her know, in the middle of training,' he thought. Lately, he surprisingly found that his thoughts riveted mostly on her, yet he didn't know why. 'Stupid brain,' he thought.

He was almost back to the cabin now. The trees were thinning as he reached the small clearing in which Halt's cabin resided.

And then he saw it, the last dummy. It was right there, hidden under the shadow of the stables. Will mentally slapped himself for missing something so obvious. It was usually under him to do so. He quickly ran and grabbed the flag, then proudly went into the cabin, grinning. He was satisfied that he had completed the routine, and wanted to show Halt how he did so.

However, inside the cabin, there was someone else there. Someone he hadn't seen in ages.

**********

**So, what do you think? Too short? Not enough description? Constructive Criticism is greatly appreciated, but flamers will be blocked. I'll try to get up the next chapter as soon as I can.**


	2. Reunion

**Author's Note: Finally got this new chapter up. Since I'm new, I need to learn how to make line breaks, and how to edit stories, can anybody tell me? By the way, this takes place between books 4 and 5. **

**Also, forgot the disclaimer, so here it is (yes, I know you all hate reading it, but I need to put it). **

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or any of that other stuff/ideas. Those belong to John Flanagan. :/ **

**For now, I'll just use some symbols to represent line breaks. **

**********

Will saw the world blur with a combination of blonde hair, soft skin, and a flowery fragrance as Cassandra hugged him. As he realized what was happening, he hugged back. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Halt with his upraised eyebrows, which was his form of a smile.

"I've missed you," the princess whispered in the ranger apprentice's ear.

"I… I've missed you too," replied Will. Will was brimming with happiness, as his optimism, combined with seeing an old friend, put the biggest grin possible on his face, and also, to his surprise, lighted his cheeks a light shade of red.

They broke the embrace, and Will noticed that the princess was wearing a plain brown dress that went down to her knees. Her green eyes were shining with happiness and another emotion that he couldn't make out.

"Well, what are you doing here?" asked Will, for he was curious what brought the princess to Castle Redmont.

"Oh, well, you know-" began Cassandra.

Halt cut her off, "I'll explain later, now sit down so we can discuss your next assignment. By the way, did you find the dummies?"

Will sat down on the chair next to Cassandra, with Halt on the other side of the table.

"Actually, yeah, I did. Here," Will smiled, as he was proud of himself for finding all five of the dummies. He handed Halt the five flags that the dummies had previously carried.

"Good. Now, as you know, the Rossanians have invaded Araluen," said Halt. He was one who got straight to the point, without idle talk. Will nodded.

"From what we, meaning the Ranger Corps, have found, the Rossanians are aiming to go straight for the heart of Araluen, Castle Araluen. From there, they shall take over Araluen. It's our job to stop them," lectured Halt. Will nodded again, and so did Cassandra, for Cassandra had only been told to journey to Castle Redmont and meet up with Halt and Will.

"We're sending you two, along with your companions, to investigate," Halt said. Will realized why Cassandra was here, for she was sent to help him.

However, despite the happiness from seeing her, Will was very curious and asked, "What? Why us? Why not send another ranger of the area?"

"Because you'll provide for the least attention or suspicion from the Rossanians if they see or suspect you," replied Halt. "Furthermore, we need someone of the royal family to negotiate with them, and as King Duncan is preoccupied, we can send his daughter."

"You mean Cassandra," replied Will.

Halt just gave him a stare that read, 'Whatever', but he still said, "Yes, Cassandra."

"How are we going to get there Halt?" asked Cassandra.

"Looks like all the young people are off to pester me with their questions," muttered Halt to no one in particular. "You'll be riding to the Thorntree Forest. From there, you'll head for Hackham Heath. Currently, the Rossanians are located at the far edge of the Heath."

Halt laid out a rough map of Araluen, and traced what route they would take. Will committed it to memory, as he knew he would need it for later.

"Now, you'll rendezvous with your companions near the castle walls, as soon as possible. Now get going, I've had my share of questions for today," said Halt.

Will and Cassandra got up and went out the door.

"One last thing," Halt called out. "Make sure to call Cassandra, Evanlyn until you get to the Rossanians. The less people who know of this, the better."

Will and Cassandra walked outside the cabin.

"Be right back Will," Evanlyn suddenly said.

She disappeared behind the cabin. A couple minutes later, she came out wearing some pants instead of her dress. Will noted that is was probably so that she could ride her horse, which he saw previously.

It was still the afternoon, roughly 4' o clock from what Will could judge from the sun's position. It was then he noticed that Evanlyn hadn't traveled alone.

"Horace, good to see you!" called Will to the young knight on his horse, Kicker. The young knight was striding about at a distance from the cabin. Far enough to not attract attention, but near enough to help if anybody attacked.

"Hello Will, good to see you again too," Horace replied as he lifted up his visor for a better view. Horace was wearing a chainmail and leggings, his sword in its scabbard, and his shield across his back.

"What are you doing here?"

"Halt didn't tell you? I'm coming with you. Halt said you would need a good sword to guard your back."

Will's smile slightly faltered at this. He didn't know why, but he felt a small pang of annoyance, despite having his long-time friend come with them. He shrugged it away.

Will mounted Tug, while Evanlyn mounted her horse, Beauty. Together, the three of them rode off toward Castle Redmont.

"So, how are things at castle Araluen?" Will asked to both of them.

"Good, but father's quite concerned with the impending danger that's growing," replied Evanlyn.

"Being a knight isn't what I imagined it to be," Horace said. "Too many politics, not enough fighting in my honest opinion."

The group approached the castle walls. Castle Redmont stood imperious in the center of them, with its glossy stone walls, and redbrick castle, it was a beauty to behold.

The company rode on, but then they stopped as they noticed a person standing outside the walls, seeming to wait for them.

Right outside the walls stood Alyss. She was as beautiful as ever, grey eyes and blonde hair, she nearly matched the princess in beauty. She was dressed similarly to Evanlyn, with a simple brown top and pants. She greeted them.

Will waved back, and so did Horace. Both of them grinned, as before them stood another childhood friend. Evanlyn waved too, but on her face was a slight frown. Then she concealed it as they drew nearer.

"Hi Will, Horace. Who's this friend of yours?" asked Alyss.

"Oh, she's um…" Will trailed off, as he didn't know whether to tell Alyss that Cassandra was the princess or that she was just a girl coming along with them.

"She's the princess of Araluen," Horace blurted out. Will shot him a look, but Horace didn't notice.

"Hi, nice to meet you. You can call me Evanlyn" said Evanlyn, as she dismounted and shook hands with Alyss.

"Likewise, my name's Alyss" replied Alyss.

"So, what are you doing here?" asked Will.

"You didn't know? I'm going to negotiate with the Rossanians with you," replied Alyss.

Will smiled, and Horace grinned, but Evanlyn just shook her head.

"Why? We only need one diplomat on this trip," said Evanlyn.

Will shot her a look. He didn't know why she was being so disrespectful and not accepting help from a friend.

"Well, I was talking with Halt, and he recommended I come along, to sort things out in case you need me," replied Alyss.

Evanlyn had to accept defeat. Here was a girl who Horace and Will both wanted along, and she herself did not know too much about diplomacy.

Alyss, noticing that Evanlyn did not argue back, hopped on the horse beside her, and rode along with them.

Together, the four companions rode toward the castle, where they would spend the night before venturing to the Rossanians.

**********

**So, what do you think? I tried to make it a bit longer. Most of my chapters will probably be around this length. Luckily, not much of a cliffy for you guys :p **

**I'll try and update every weekend or so by the way. **

**Thanks to all the reviewers who reviewed, your criticism is greatly appreciated. **


	3. Prisoner

**Well, here's the next chapter. Thanks for all those who reviewed (not a lot, but whatever). **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ranger's Apprentice and all the stuff that's in it… blah blah blah. That's all John Flanagan's. **

-----------

The group of four rode along the trail at a steady trot.

Previously, Will, Evanlyn, Alyss, and Horace had slept at Castle Redmont. There, they reviewed their plan and strategy. They were to skim the top of Thorntree Forest, and head for Hackham Heath, where the Rossanians were currently camped.

At dawn, they had left, equipped with food, blankets, and other camping necessities. All these things were put on their pack pony.

The sun was shining, baking the earth with its heat. The grass where the company was riding on was thin and wilting. A couple trees provided cover from the noonday heat. The four travelers were sweating freely, despite the fact that it was actually the time when the leaves fall from the trees.

"Let's camp here," Will suddenly said. He pointed at a group of trees, which would provide them with shade to eat their noonday meal. Also, it would provide them with cover from possibly watchful eyes.

The four gratefully got down from their horses, their legs aching from riding all day. The horses, Tug, Kicker, Beauty, Shine (Alyss' horse), and the pack horse bent down and started eating the sparse vegetation.

Will looked around at the plain. It seemed to stretch to the horizon, at which point there was a hazy line of green.

'Thortree Forest,' Will thought. Will turned back to the campsite, and frowned when he saw the other three preparing a cold meal. He didn't want to eat cold food this far away from the enemy. It wasn't that dangerous in the middle of Araluen, hundreds of leagues away from the Rossanians. He made a quick decision and thought that he could risk a fire.

"Evanlyn, Alyss, you make camp and prepare a fire. Horace, you're with me, we need to find some firewood," ordered Will. Unbeknownst to him, all three of them sighed a relief at not having to eat cold food again.

Horace rose up and followed Will to collect some firewood from the fallen branches and grass that surrounded the area.

Meanwhile at camp, Alyss and Evanlyn set up camp. They were preparing the fire, setting stones so the fire wouldn't spread, when Alyss suddenly turned her head toward Evanlyn, about to ask a question.

"You're actually Princess Cassandra aren't you?" asked Alyss suddenly.

"I… How'd you know?" asked Evanlyn back.

Alyss shrugged. "Lucky guess I suppose," she lied. She had actually guessed that someone of the royal family would be coming along to arrange the treaty with the Rossanians, and that somebody could only be Cassandra.

Evanlyn gave her a look that said that she knew Alyss was lying, but didn't pry. There was an awkward silence in the campsite as both girls strove to make camp ready when the boys came back. Unknown to them, someone else was present at the campsite.

----------

"Of all the jobs in the army, I have to be a scout," muttered Vladimir to himself. The Rossanian was dressed in camouflage armor suited for the environment. It was actually quite like the Ranger's cloak, except it was painted a dusty brown for plain and dessert warfare.

Vladimir looked to be around 20. He had a small beard, and was actually quite tall in height for his age. His bright blue eyes gleaned from behind his brown hair and hood. He had been assigned to scout the surrounding area, and gather intelligence. This was because the Rossanians themselves actually did not know too much of the landscape, or where to battle.

Vladimir was riding on his horse, Ash, when he saw the campsite. There was a small spiral of smoke coming from the fire that desperately needed the firewood to survive. He quickly turned the horse on his heels and rode to a safer distance. Once there, he dismounted, and retrieved his weapons.

A Rossanian always carried a saber, and two knives in case the saber was destroyed or rendered unusable.

Vladimir went down to the ground and army crawled toward the camp. He hid behind the trunk of a larger tree, and eavesdropped on the two girls' conversation.

"You think Will and Horace will be back soon?" asked Evanlyn to no one in particular.

Vladimir realized from the names that the girls were saying that there must have been at least four people in the group, too many to take alone. So he wisely remained silent.

"Yeah, I'm sure they're almost done gathering the firewood," replied Alyss.

By now, the two girls were sitting cross-legged against a tree trunk, talking to waste the time. Their selective jobs had been finished.

Without anything specific to talk about, Evanlyn's mind wandered. However, her thoughts always reverted back to one subject… Will. His features, his smile, even how he talked. Evanlyn shook her head. She was on an important mission, and this wasn't a time to be daydreaming. Still, she wondered how well Alyss knew of Will. A pang of jealousy shot up as she considered that, but she shrugged it away.

"Hey Alyss, how long have you know Will?" asked Evanlyn to the taller blonde.

"Oh, we were best friends in the orphanage at Castle Redmont," Alyss replied.

"Will's an orphan?" asked Evanlyn, stunned by the news.

"Yeah, he doesn't talk about it much though," answered Alyss.

It was then that the boys came back, carrying the firewood. They sat down and put the firewood on the small fire the girls had made.

Vladimir noticed that the people in the group couldn't have been older than 17. The bigger boy carried a sword at his waist, and from the way he walked, Vladimir could tell he was quite an experienced swordsman, despite his age.

The smaller boy was more peculiar. He wore a cloak that was similar to his own, yet it was more efficient with the environment. It could blend better. The boy also carried two knives in a double scabbard at his waist, and a longbow on his back. Unbeknownst to Vladimir, Halt had given Will the longbow earlier, to help him on this last assignment before he graduated to become a full-fledged Ranger.

Will took out a small pot and used some branches to suspend it over the fire. He poured some water to it, and then took out his cooking pouch. It was full of food and spices that, when combined with water and some flavoring, tasted very good. The best thing about it was, that no matter what you put in it, the soup always tasted good and unique.

Will put some meat and the flavoring into the soup. The group sat down and waited for the soup to cook. The smell wafted up and made everyone's stomach growl.

Even Vladimir, hiding in the trees, could smell the delicious smell of the soup. He had been eating dried fruits and meat for the past few days, and the new changed of smell brought his stomach to a suppressed growl too.

Will suddenly started.

"What is it Will?" asked Evanlyn as she noticed the movement.

Will just made a quick movement for the three of them to be quiet. Will then quickly nocked an arrow to his longbow. Vladimir realized a second too late what was happening.

"You can come out now," said Will to the place he was aiming.

Vladimir, realized he was hopelessly outmatched with the four young teenagers and the bow, stepped out from under the shadows.

-----------

**So, what do you think? Too little action? Sorry bout that. I promise you that the next chapter will have more action. **

**R&R please! Thanks!**


	4. Fight and Flight

**Again, thanks for all those who reviewed. It means a lot to me. More action this chapter :)**

**Btw, notice the name change? Yeah, I'm Ze Bird now, changed from Advanced Writer. It's a pun on my name; check my profile for more information. Sorry for any inconveniences. Also, please vote in my poll in my profile, you have my humble thanks if you do (and I might get chapters up a little bit faster).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ranger's Apprentice, all that stuff belongs to John Flanagan. **

*********

Vladimir was startled by the calmness in Will's eyes. Usually, if one found a spy, one would look upon him or her with hatred and a burning desire to kill him or her for eavesdropping. However, Will, trained by years of Ranger training, adopted a calmer look to the situation, as to benefit those around him.

The rest of the group on the other hand, was a different story. Evanlyn sat with a surprised look on her face, some strands of her blond hair hanging loose as the result of the quick reaction she had when the stranger appeared. Alyss, also trained similarly to Will, had a calm outward expression, though her eyes betrayed the look. Horace on the other hand, looked absolutely bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"Who are you?" asked Will.

"My name is Vladimir," replied Vladimir. After all, he saw no harm in telling them his name.

"Are you Rossanian?" perked in Evanlyn.

"Clearly," Vladimir answered again.

Will gave a sharp nod to Horace, who moved to disarm Vladimir. Although Vladimir felt exposed without his weapons, there was nothing he could do. Horace took his saber and his two daggers. However, he forgot about the dagger concealed up Vladimir's trousers. This dagger was special. It could be slid in or out of the handle at will, with a special locking mechanism that held it in place. The Scout divisions of the Rossanian army usually used it in case they got into such situations like this.

"What are the Rossanians planning to do?" inquired Will. He was going to get straight to the point with this interrogation, to figure out if Vladimir was going to talk or not.

"With all due respect young man, I'm not obliged to answer that," replied Vladimir calmly.

Will looked into the man's eyes. Even though he was standing at arrow-point, his life quivering on the tip of a needle, Vladimir was calm. He was not afraid of death, as were all Rossanians.

"I said..." Will struggled to recall the man's name. "Vladimir, what are the Rossanians planning to do?" This time, Will said it with more force, and drew back his longbow to full draw.

"I cannot answer you," Vladimir replied again.

Will tightened his fingers slightly as he readied to release the arrow. There was an intake of breath from someone behind him however. Strangely, in a way, it was that person that saved Vladimir.

Will looked behind him to see Evanlyn. She was the one who Will had heard the intake of breath from. Now she was holding it, though unconsciously. Will looked into her eyes. His bow was still at full draw. However, his fingers loosened slightly. Also, to some surprise, Will realized his heart was beating faster than normal. What he saw in her eyes was determination, but also forgiveness and care. It was at that moment he realized that he couldn't kill in cold blood.

Will loosened his grip on the bow. He took out his Saxe knife and went toward the men however. He went up to Vladimir, who just calmly stared up at him, and hit him. He didn't hit him too hard, and he only hit him with the hilt, but it was enough to knock Vladimir unconscious.

"Horace, tie up the man. Once you're done, we need to decide what we're going to do," said Will to the rest of the company.

While Horace moved to tie up Vladimir, Will, Evanlyn, and Alyss moved toward the campfire to have lunch.

**********

"What're we going to do Will?" asked Alyss over the campfire.

Haven eaten their fill, the four of them was sitting around the campfire. Night was coming upon them, and Will had decided that they would camp here for the night.

"I think… that we need to move quicker. More of these scouts could be around, and once they know that one of them is missing, they'll know something is amiss. The problem is, what to do with him," Will pointed to Vladimir.

"Shouldn't we just let him go?" asked Evanlyn.

"We can't risk that, he might get information to his superiors," answered Horace, for he knew some stuff concerning the taking of hostages.

"We'll camp for the night, we can discuss this in the morning," said Will with a tone of finality.

The four of them got up and moved to find a soft spot to sleep. Will walked over to Vladimir, who had awoken again by now, to loosen his hand straps for a couple minutes. He also gave him a chunk of bread. Vladimir muttered his thanks. Then Will retied Vladimir's hands and went to sleep with the others.

**********

It was the neighing of Tug that awoke Will. He looked around, it appeared to be the middle of the night, and there appeared to be no one around. However, Tug was kicking his legs and neighing softly to alert Will that something was amiss.

Will cursed silently to himself. 'How did the Rossanians reach us so fast?' he thought.

Will moved to Tug to calm him down. Assured that his master knew what was going on, Tug stopped his neighing and returned to eating the sparse grass that grew on the plain.

Will made a quick decision to wake the others, but he had to be smart about it. He couldn't let the enemy catch them by surprise, but neither could he let them know what was going on.

He went to Evanlyn to awake her.

"Wha- Will, what're you doing?" mumbled Evanlyn sleepily.

Will put a finger to her mouth in a gesture to be silent. Evanlyn blushed slightly at the sudden contact, but Will didn't notice, he still had his head turned to see if the enemy was approaching. Evanlyn nodded slightly.

Will and Evanlyn woke the others, appearing as if they just needed to have a midnight talk. Somewhat suspicious, but not too much to alert the enemy that they knew they were there.

"The Rossanians are attacking," Will whispered to them around the campfire, which they had been re-lighted. He looked around and saw surprise but also determination in all the faces he looked at. He knew these were the closest friends he had, and he could count on them.

"How many?" asked Horace.

"Don't know. Get ready for a fight but also a run," Will nodded in the horses' direction, meaning that they should get ready to do a quick mount and run.

It was then, when the group of four was huddled around the campfire, that the Rossanians attacked.

Will, his senses already alerted, quickly knocked an arrow to his already strung bow, and fired off three arrows in succession before the Rossanians could react. Three Rossanians fell. Now, the group had a clear passage to the horses.

The Rossanians came in, yelling their war screams. They were all armed with sabers and had the usual camouflage cloak on that distinguished them as scouts. Will shot five more down before he dropped the bow. He quickly counted them, their numbers totaling around fifty in all, too many to fight. Evanlyn and Alyss drew their knives, knives that were almost as big as short swords, while Will drew his throwing and Saxe knife, for the Rossanians were already nearing. Horace, already armed with his usual knight armor and shield (he had gotten into it as they were talking), drew his sword.

Steel clashed on steel as Will fought off the first Rossanian that had approached him. The Rossanian hacked and stabbed at Will with his saber, but Will successfully blocked each attack with his knives. The Rossanian just couldn't get the better of him. Then Will went on the offensive, stabbing his Saxe knife into the heart of the Rossanian as he lowered his saber for a split second.

Will grimaced as he pulled his dagger out. Blood stained the dagger as he stole a chance to look around.

Horace was doing exceptional, he fought two Rossanians with ease, and he didn't have a scratch on him. A couple of Rossanians lay at his feet, slain. Evanlyn and Alyss however, were having more difficulty. They were fighting nearly back to back, defending with their knives. As the Rossanians had the clear weapon length advantage, Evanlyn and Alyss were getting slowly pushed back.

Will knew he had to help them. He fought off another Rossanian as he tried to sneak up on him, and went for his bow.

He looked around to make sure his comrades were okay.

It was as that moment that Evanlyn fell. The Rossanian she was fighting had gotten the better of her, and had knocked her feet from below her. She hit the ground with a light thump. The Rossanian smiled in victory. He brought his saber up for the kill.

"Evanlyn!" Will screamed out to her.

Evanlyn met his gaze and gave him a knowing smile. Knowing she was about to die. But Will couldn't let that happen. He just couldn't, after all they had been through. That smile gave him the determination and strength to do what he needed to do.

He quickly grabbed his bow and aimed all in the length of a split second. He knew that if he missed, his friend, possibly the best friend he ever had, would die. And unknown to Will, he would lose his only chance of finding true love.

He aimed and shot in under a second. The arrow flew straight and true. The saber was inches away from Evanlyn as the arrow hit the Rossanian. He slowly fell to his side.

"Retreat!" yelled Will.

Alyss and Evanlyn, unnoticed for the moment, ran to the horses. Will however, saw himself facing three Rossanians, angry that he had killed so many of their comrades. Will knew this was not the time to fight. He quickly ran to the horses, discovering Horace, Evanlyn, and Alyss were already there.

Together, they rode away from the Rossanians and certain death, and into the night.

*********

**What do you think? That was my first fighting scene, so yeah, kind of short. Oh well. Hope you liked the chapter. Please R&R, reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	5. Divided

**Well, since it's Spring Break over here, I can get stories up faster. Also, just an fyi, the group (Will, Evanlyn, Horace, Alyss) is a negotiation group, but, the Rossanians don't know that yet. So as such, they can get attacked and ambushed. Hope you like this chapter. **

**Hm… I don't think I have enough character development, oh well; I'll work on it. It's my first story after all. I realize that I've been focusing on Will a lot. Oh well, he is the protagonist after all.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ranger's Apprentice blah blah blah, u get the point. **

----------

The group had been riding non-stop for nearly ten hours. Will thought it was best to keep going, and the rest of the group agreed. They had only stopped for short rest periods to rest their horses and eat a meager meal.

The question had been nagging Will all day. How did the Rossanians find us so fast? And are there more? These were things he had to worry about, for the sake of information, and protection (both of himself and his friends).

Will was stirred out of his thoughts as Evanlyn pointed and said, "Look, I think it's a Rossanian camp!"

And so it was true. At around two hundred meters in front of them was a camp, clearly Rossanian by the way it was set up. However, it was deserted, which marked that the inhabitants had already left.

The sun was still shining, and Will calculated they could still make it to Thorntree Forest by nightfall. He decided that the camp was worth investigating.

"C'mon guys, help me search for some stuff," said Will as he dismounted. The rest of the group did the same.

The four of them scoured through the Rossanian camp. The camp itself was shaped in a ring around a central (previously lit) bonfire and what used to be a main tent. Will could see that the Rossanians used tents because of the holes and scratching left on the ground by them. However, all that was left now were the dead remains of the fires, and some other random stuff lying around. But it was through these random items that they searched.

Will went to investigate the main tent. Meanwhile, he looked around to check on his friends, and make sure no one was going to ambush them again. They were all fine. Evanlyn caught his glance and smiled. Will grinned back, happy that she was still alive, despite the previous encounter with the Rossanians. Strangely, he saw her face turn a bright shade of red as she returned to work.

'Girls,' he thought to himself. 'I'll never understand them.'

Will searched around the remains of the leader tent, or what remained of it. Clearly, the Rossanians had taken the tents with them, so all that remained were some leftover items. He scoured around, turning up loose pieces of wood that were leftover firewood, and also looking through the dirt for any buried items.

It was then that Will spotted a piece of parchment amid the firewood. He picked it up. It was dusty and stained, but its contents were still visible. Will's eyes widened. What he held in his hands was the entire Rossanian invasion plan. He knew that something like this could turn the tide of a battle. This was an item that could either save thousands of lives, or let those thousands of lives be killed.

'I gotta get this to King Duncan immediately,' thought Will to himself. He was brimming with excitement. 'But what if it's fake?' his excitement was quenched somewhat by that thought.

Will called his friends over. Once they saw what Will held in his hands, they gave gasps of astonishment. To find an enemy battle plan in a stack of firewood was a stroke of pure luck.

"We need to get this to the King immediately," said Horace. Evanlyn and Alyss nodded in agreement.

Will however, was not as convinced, rather it was the fact that this might be a fake battle plan, or that if they were to get it to the King, they would have to inevitably split up.

He discussed his thoughts with the others, but only the first half.

Immediately, Horace's face grimed. He knew that, as Morgarath had done years ago, if this was a fake plan, they were going to be in a lot of trouble.

Evanlyn however, took a more optimistic approach to it however, "Even so, if it's a real plan, just think about how it could help Araluen!"

Alyss nodded too, she was thinking along the same lines as Evanlyn.

"Alright, alright. Alyss, you're going to need to get this to King Duncan, as you're the courier among us. I need Evanlyn for the negotiations. Try to meet up with us later," said Will.

Alyss nodded in acknowledgement.

Horace however, stated his opinion, "Will, I think I should go with her, you know, to protect her."

Alyss shot Horace a disapproving look for not having faith in her, but accepted the fact that she could use Horace's skills in battle. After all, they didn't know when another Rossanian ambush could happen.

"Alright," agreed Will. He pulled out his map of Araluen, "Look, try to meet us here." Will pointed at the western edge of Hackham Heath. "Ride to Castle Araluen and go to Hackham Heath as soon as possible. Send a messenger bird if anything happens,"

Horace and Alyss nodded again.

Will gave Alyss one last hug, and shook hands with Horace. Will noticed out of the corner of his eye that Evanlyn was also doing something akin to what he was doing, but there was a slight spark of jealousy in her eyes. Then it was gone. Will convinced himself it was nothing.

"We'll see you soon!" called Horace back to Evanlyn and Will.

"Be sure of it!" Will replied.

"See you Will!" Alyss yelled back to him, for they were getting farther and farther away.

With a last goodbye, Horace and Alyss mounted their respective horses and set off. Since Castle Araluen wasn't too far away, Will and Evanlyn had kept the pack pony.

"C'mon Evanlyn, let's head for Thorntree Forest," said Will.

"Let's go then," replied Evanlyn. Secretly, inside, she was happier than she had been in a long time, though she didn't know why. Somehow, she guessed that the reason centered on Will.

**********

"What do you mean you lost the plans?" screamed Vladimir at his comrades.

Vladimir actually happened to be quite a high-ranking officer in the scout division, in Araluen terms; he would've been a Major. Vladimir quite liked the name Major Vladimir. It made him sound important.

Apparently, to Vladimir's disgust, his comrades had lost the battle plans for the invasion. Of course, the Rossanians had multiple parchments containing the same plan in case they were lost, and for the case of ease. The problem was if they enemy found the plans, the Rossanians would be in a tough situation.

"Alright, alright. Lieutenant," Vladimir pointed at one his lieutenants of the group. The man nodded in acknowledgement, "You ride with your twenty men to chase the group we saw."

"Let's go boys!" yelled the lieutenant out loud. A couple minutes later, he and his men was just a shroud of dust on the horizon.

"Sergeant Kaonde, you and your squad search for those lost plans," said Vladimir again. Little did he know that Will had already found them, a hundred leagues east of where he was right now.

"Sir, where should I look?" asked the sergeant.

"Look at past trails, look at camps, I don't know, you can figure it out," replied the major.

"Sir, yes, sir! C'mon men, let's go!" screamed the sergeant to his men.

After they had gone, Vladimir calculated that there remained around ten men in the group. Two were staff sergeants, while the rest were common scouts.

"You men with me. We need to see what's up in Castle Araluen," Vladimir told the other men.

They nodded in acknowledgement, and as a group, they rode off toward Castle Araluen to do their job, main reconnaissance.

**********

**So, what do you think? I may or may not let Horace and Alyss rejoin the group, it depends on the type of reviews I get (basically, it's your call). This chapter was slightly shorter than the previous one, but oh well. **

**Furthermore, I may have Vladimir discover something vital to the Rossanians at Castle Araluen; after all, all's fair in war. But then again, I also might not. :p I write and think as I go usually. **

**Anyway, R&R! I appreciate it! Remember to please please please take my poll in my profile!**


	6. Author's Note

**Yes, yes, it's the dreaded Author's Note. However, I do not plan on stopping this story, rather, I am determined to fix it. There is a purpose to this Author's Note though. **

**First off, I'm going to Miami tomorrow, so I will not be able to write until Monday, when school starts again. This means that the chapter due for Saturday like usual shall be postponed.**

**Secondly, the chapter may be postponed longer than usual. This is because I am not completely satisfied with my work. As such, I am going to revise it. I may or may not get the next chapter up next Saturday, because I shall be revising the other chapters. **

**Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll take this Author's Note off as soon as I finish revising all the other chapters, and make a new chapter. I may or may not keep doing this as I attempt to finish this story. I hope that you will bear with me as I go through this process, and I am sorry for the delays. **


End file.
